Thin walls
by spones
Summary: The walls of the Abbey were thinner than Cora remembered...
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Just popping my head out of hibernation with this short thing. I didn't want to publish it at first, but the tumblr-Coberts encouraged me to do it anyway. Thank you guys. You're an amazing bunch of people. Sorry for the crappy writing though, I wrote it in a hurry in one of those insomnia-nights ;) But enough talk, enjoy..._

_Oh, and the usual disclaimer: I don't own anything Downton-related, but my fantasy..._

* * *

The walls of Downton were thin. Thinner than Cora remembered when she woke suddenly to curiously strangled noises coming from Robert's dressing-room. It was the middle of the night, it was almost completely dark and no sound could be heard, apart from the strange noises next door. But Robert had gone to York on business for 3 days and was expected back the next day.

She hold her breath and listened intently.

Perhaps it was a mouse or another animal? But no, it sounded more like intense breathing. And in between she thought she heard the low moans of a male voice.

Perhaps it was a burglar? For a moment, Cora was frightened. But no, it couldn't be. It didn't sound like there was someone rummaging around, searching for things.

It sounded like... it sounded like... oh good God, it sounded like someone doing the unspeakable thing. What you did at night, when you were feeling very, very lonely. What, of course, no one ever did. In Robert's dressing-room? In Robert's dressing-room! What in God's name was going on?  
Without thinking any further, Cora hopped out of bed and went straight for the door that joined their rooms. Just before her hand touched the handle though, she heard the stranger speak her name. It was one drawn out husky breath and slowly it dawned on her. There was no stranger abusing Robert's dressing-room for unspeakable things. It was Robert himself.

Very cautiously Cora opened the door and peered through the small gap and truly, there he was, lying on his bed, stark naked and very obviously approaching a self induced release. And very rapidly so. His eyes were closed, his breathing getting more and more ragged by the second and his voice was rasping her name. Again and again and again while he was stroking himself with growing urgency.

Cora would have never in her life admitted it, but she found herself amazed by the sight of her husband so blatantly fantasizing about her. She had never seen a thing like that in her life. And most likely would never see it again. And it aroused her in a way she hadn't thought possible. It was so excitingly different from what Robert usually did when they were together, that she found herself rooted to the spot, unable to move and unable to look away.  
When his body stiffened and his seed spilled over his hand and onto his stomach, him reaching his climax with her name on his lips, Cora let out an involuntary gasp. It was one of the most beautiful things, Cora Crawley had ever witnessed.

Slowly, but with determination, she entered the room, his sanctuary, and when she audibly closed the door behind her, Robert's eyes flew open in shock.

"Oh my God, how long have you been there," he asked, embarrassment clearly written all over his face, his eyes flickering from her to the mess on his stomach and back to her.

"Long enough," she smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Thanks for the kind reviews and to all, who've read it. I'm always amazed at the number of readers. Bless you. Some of you wanted a follow up, so here it is, since I'm having another rather sleepless night. If there are more of these in the future, then there'll be more chapters I fear. Sorry it's got nothing to do with thin walls anymore. Well, at least not at the moment... Enjoy. x_

* * *

„I'm sorry," Robert murmured and tried to cover himself with the duvet.

„I'm not," Cora whispered as she approached the bed.

„What?" Astonished, he turned his head to look at his wife.

„You're home early," Cora simply stated while she crawled into bed beside him, resting her head on his shoulder and placing her hand softly on his chest.

„Yes," Robert was slightly confused, to say the least, but at least the feeling of being 14 again and caught behind the shed subsided rather quickly.

„Yes, I, we had finished earlier than expected and so I took the evening train, because…" he trailed off. Robert was still too embarrassed to admit that he had begun to think about „things" during the last - and especially boring - meeting and had just wanted to get home as soon as possible, hoping Cora would still be awake on his arrival.

„Because?" Cora asked.

„Because…"

„Because you missed me?" Cora asked teasingly.

„Yes, because I missed you."

„I've seen how you missed me, I missed you, too," she whispered into his ear, her hand starting to wander down his body.

But Robert grabbed her hand and stopped her, before she could reach dangerous ground.

„Cora. Please. It's bad enough, that you had to witness this. Don't…"

„Robert, stop right there," she cut him off, before he could say something very honorable but also terribly stupid. „Why do you think it bad that I saw you? I know, we don't normally do such things, at least or especially not in front of each other, but I think it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, Robert. My husband, the man I love, fantasizes about me when he is alone. What could be more adorable or more satisfying for a woman? Please don't belittle it by being embarrassed throughout the next week."

„Are you… I mean, do you… when I'm away…?" Robert stammered, thoroughly intrigued by the speech his wife had just delivered, looking forlornly into her blue eyes.

„What? Fantasize? Of course I do," Cora whispered, suddenly realizing how hard it actually was to talk about it in front of the object of your fantasies.

„About me?"

„No, about the Maharaja of Jaipur, of course I fantasize about you, you silly man. About us," Cora blushed, remembering some of her more - well - „exotic" fantasies.

Robert could only gape at his wife for a moment but then a beaming smile appeared on his lips.

„You're right. It's a brilliant feeling," Robert stated.

„What is?" Now it was Cora's turn to be slightly confused.

„To know that my wife, the woman I love, fantasizes about me when she is alone," he whispered and placed a long soft kiss on Cora's lips. Her hands started to wander over his body again, but this time he didn't care. His hands had started to explore, too.

„Just one last question," Cora breathed as Robert turned his attentions towards her neck.

„Hmmm?" He responded.

„Why didn't you come to me when you arrived?"

Robert raised his head and looked into her questioning eyes.

„You were asleep. I didn't want to disturb you."

„Well, next time, please feel free to do so," and with a teasing smile she added, „perhaps we could fantasize together."


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Sorry about the speech-marks in the last chapter. It was actually my fault, I wrote the chapter in a different program than what I usually write with and where I live, speech-marks are actually done like this. This time they're back to the proper english form. Thanks for reading and responding. Enjoy._

* * *

"Penny for your thoughts?" Robert asked his wife, who was sitting on a bench in the garden, enjoying the warm evening sun and gazing into the distance, the book she had meant to read lay forgotten in her lap.

"Oh, there you are," Cora said, turning her head, surprised by his rather sudden appearance behind her. "How was your day?"

"Good, I suppose." Robert had been out the whole day long, visiting some parts of the estate, which his father usually never went to.

"How was yours? Have you missed me?" His voice had dropped lower and his gaze began to linger on Cora's shoulders.

"Yes," Cora had turned her head back and resumed her gazing around the grounds, "you left me all to myself. The whole day. I had time to think."

Suddenly remembering what they had talked about last night, Robert realized she wasn't trying to scold him but attempting to tell him something entirely different. He took her words as an invitation and put his hands on her shoulders, starting to massage them very slowly until he could feel her shiver under his touch.

"Mmmh, should I be sorry, or rather not?"

"I don't think so," Cora answered, never taking her eyes off a certain point in the distance.

"Cora?"

"Mmmmh, Robert?"

"What are you looking at?"

"Do you see that barn over there? I've been thinking about that barn for quite some time now."

Robert looked up and noticed the building not far away. A stable barn, which was used for storing hay.

"You've been thinking about the barn?"

"Yes," she said dreamily, "and about hay," Cora trailed off.

"About hay?" Robert suddenly felt a rush of blood pulsing through his veins. His body was obviously much quicker in understanding the true meaning of her words than his head.

A quick look around confirmed his hope that they were completely alone, so he abandoned Cora's shoulders, rounded the bench and took her by the hand.

"I think I've just discovered the ability to read minds, sweetheart. But everything's still a bit foggy. Come on. I want to learn more of your thoughts."

Cora didn't need telling twice, she had hoped he would get the message she had tried to convey so elegantly.

* * *

When they had reached the barn, slightly out of breath, although they wouldn't have been able to tell, whether it was from their running or just pure anticipation of the things to come, Robert locked the door as best as he could and leaned against it.

"So. What do you want?"

"How about… you catch me," she breathed and took off in the direction of the ladder which lead to the hayloft.

Robert couldn't help it and rolled his eyes. When he started to go after her, he had a beaming smile plastered on his face. He caught her just when Cora had reached the top of the ladder. Slinging his arms around her waist they both tumbled into the big haystack.

"You want to play, hm?" Robert murmured while his lips grazed her neck.

"Mmmh," Cora purred, turning around in his arms to look into his eyes, "not anymore." And with that, she pressed her lips to his, her tongue asking for entrance. She didn't need to ask for long.

* * *

When they left the barn a few hours later, having tried to make themselves presentable again, they passed one of the gardeners, who failed miserably to hide his knowing smile when he greeted them.

"Do you think he heard us?" Cora whispered into Robert's ear.

"Well, could be. After all, the walls of a barn are thin. And you couldn't keep quiet," Robert teased her.

"Good," his wife smiled coyly.

"What?"

"Well," she blushed, "that was another one of my fantasies. But it would have been even better, if I'd known beforehand."

Robert had to take a deep breath. This kind of bluntness he did not expect from his wife. Perhaps it was her American blood. However, if he was honest with himself, he found the idea appealing somehow.

"Well," he said finally, "perhaps next time."


	4. Chapter 4

Of all the dinner parties Cora had attended at Downton up to this day, this one was clearly the grandest yet. She had never seen so many elegant people scattered across the rooms, some in conversation, some playing cards or other games, others were even dancing to the soft music, the string quartet was providing so very exquisitely.

It was the perfect evening for her little plan.

She had been thinking about it for weeks now, ever since she had been sure that the gardener hadn't told anyone about their little escapade in the barn.  
Now the day had finally arrived to set things in motion again and let one of her more exotic fantasies come true.

The first step had already been a success. She had bought a new dress and had put on the jewelry Robert had given her on the day he had confessed his love for her. She looked stunning and she knew it. She had seen it in Robert's eyes, in the way he had looked at her and in the way he had swallowed a few times until he had felt secure enough to compliment her on her appearance.  
Throughout dinner and afterwards when the men had rejoined the ladies, she had tried to catch his eye a few times more often than usual and to her satisfaction it had always worked. Now she was sure that she had had the effect she needed before she could continue with her little scheme.  
With a quick look across the room, Cora realized Robert had to talk to Lord Darlington at the moment, whom, she knew, he deemed dull.

Perfect.

Cora didn't have to stare for long for somehow he always felt her gaze lingering on him, whenever she looked for more than a second. When their eyes met again, Cora put on her most radiant smile. And then she winked.

Something was going on with his wife tonight. Robert just couldn't quite fathom what it was exactly. First the dress and the jewels, then all those looks during the evening, the soft, very short and very improper brush over his behind, when the men had entered the drawing room and now she had even winked at him. It was as if she was trying to seduce him amidst all those people. Well, if she was actually trying to do that, she was pretty successful and they were only half-way through the evening. His self-control was wearing thin already. As was his patience with Lord Darlington who told him for the hundredth time the story of his dog, which had gotten lost last week.  
Robert excused himself as politely as he could and endeavored to find out what it was that his wife was up to. For he was certain that she was up to something.

"Cora, my dear, is everything alright?" He asked as nonchalantly as he dared.

"Robert, yes, everything is just fine. Such a grand evening. Even your parents seem to be enjoying themselves," she said with a slight smirk.

"And are you enjoying yourself?" Robert smiled with a twinkle in his eye.

"I do. Immensely. And if I'm right I'm going to enjoy myself even more very soon," she whispered into his ear. "If you will excuse me for a moment, I've got to go and powder my nose."

Well, that must have been one of the most remarkable conversations Robert had ever had with his wife. What did she mean? How on earth was she going to enjoy herself "even more" on the loo? Was there something about women he had missed again?

She was wearing the perfume he liked the most, that he hadn't missed, and that she somehow had walked even more 'graceful' than usual out of the room he hadn't missed either. Neither had his body.

'God, Robert, get a grip,' he scolded himself and realized suddenly that he had a little piece of paper in his hand. Cora must have put it there without him, or anyone else for that matter, noticing.

_My dearest love! Meet me in the abandoned room down the hall in 10 minutes. I'll be ready for you._ She had signed it with her lips.

Good lord, his wife had gone mad. He stared at the note in disbelief. She actually wanted to... he didn't even dare to think it. How long had she been gone already? He wasn't seriously considering this, was he? When Robert looked around the room, nobody seemed to take notice of the rather flushed future Earl who was standing alone near the door holding a little piece of paper in his hands and before Robert realized what he was doing, his feet had started to move and he took of through the hall.

After he had made sure that no one was looking, Robert slipped through the door and there she was, already approaching him.

"Cora! What has gotten into you?" He whispered forcefully. "Good Lord, we have guests!"

"Don't worry, we'll be there to see them off. There are so many of them, no one is going to miss us for a few minutes," she whispered just before she crushed her lips eagerly onto his and grabbing his well-formed behind with determination.

"Cora... good God... this... is... so... very... very... inappropriate...," Robert panted between hurried, needy kisses. He had started to push her backwards into the general direction of an unused sideboard. The room was full of presently unused furniture.  
"But... also... very... very... exciting...," and with the last word, he heaved his moaning wife onto the commode. Her legs closed almost immediately around his waist while her deft fingers had already opened his fly.

* * *

Meanwhile, Charles Carson, one of the footmen, was on his way from the kitchen to the drawing room, a fresh load of champagne on his tray. When he approached the door of the room they used to store the unused furniture in, he became aware of a rather rhythmic thumping noise. He wasn't about to give it much thought for he had a task to attend to, until the cry of a woman made him stop in his tracks. But before he could decide whether he should rush into the room to safe a lady in distress and the house from scandal, he heard the rather breathless voice of the young master.

"Shhhh, Cora, good God, you know how thin the walls are around here!"

Carson stopped dead in his tracks again. No one needed rescuing here, he realized. A little too briskly for the elegant flutes full of champagne he walked on to the drawing room. Thankfully no one seemed to notice the clinking of the glass his shaking hand produced, as he served the drinks. It was only Lord Darlington who wondered for a moment why the face of the usually so serene footman had suddenly turned crimson.

And it was only Lord Darlington who, when he took his leave a few hours later, wondered why the Viscount and his wife looked somehow different. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but if he didn't know it better, he would have said, their hair looked tousled.


	5. Chapter 5

_Thank you all very much for your kind reviews, they are very much appreciated, and again thanks to those, who are just reading this. Some of you suggested I cover Robert's fantasies for a change. Well, I tried ;) Hope you'll enjoy x_

* * *

"Is my wife still asleep?" Robert asked Cora's maid rather impatiently.

"Yes, M'Lord, shall I wake her?"

"No, no, no, it's alright, thank you," he dismissed her and she went on her way with a nod. No, he would wake her himself. Ever since Cora's little 'surprise' a few weeks ago, he had been wondering how to 'repay' her, although 'repaying' wasn't really what Robert had in mind, and finally he had concocted a plan, which would hopefully work out today. It had required a fair bit of thinking on his part. Since Cora had watched him in his dressing room that night after his trip to York, he had learned that his fantasies were much less elaborate and exotic than her's. Usually, just imagining her wearing a nice dress or waiting for him in their bed, smiling her radiant smile at him, got him going nicely, but that wouldn't do anymore, obviously, since she had started this little game. But only after he had managed to change perspective and stopped thinking about what he would like her to do with him and started to think about what he himself would like to do with her, he finally came up with an idea.

It was quite an ordinary day at Downton, after breakfast the midmorning had been dedicated to business and after Luncheon, the ladies of the house had gone up for an afternoon nap. There was nothing further planned for the day, apart from the usual afternoon tea and dinner in the evening, of course. And Robert's little scheme.

"Cora?" Already clad in his riding gear, Robert had approached her from behind and whispered into her ear. "Time to wake up, my dear," he placed a soft kiss just below her ear.

"Mmmmh, what?" Cora turned sleepily, but realizing he was fully dressed for an outing, her eyes snapped open.

"Where a you going?"

"We, Darling, we are going for a ride," Robert said, now grinning broadly being unable to hide his excitement.

"We are?" He had clearly taken Cora by surprise.

"Yes, come on, our horses are already waiting," Robert had gone to look out of the window, where he could see the stable lad with their horses patiently waiting for them to appear.

"They are," she simply stated, having gotten up she was now standing alongside Robert at the window, her eyes flickering from the horses back to the face of her giddy husband, still wondering what this was all about.

"Cora?"

"Yes?"

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do, Robert, but..."

Robert took both her hands into his and pressed them to his chest, his blue eyes searching her's.

"If you trust me, don't ask any questions, just come with me. Please?"

Finally it dawned on Cora, that he had probably planned this, that he had eventually decided to join in her little game and might have planned even something more than just an afternoon of horseback riding.

"Alright, I'll join you. Just give me half an hour to get dressed."

"15 minutes," Robert called over his shoulder as he left their bedroom.

"Don't push your luck," he heard her throw at him as he passed her already waiting maid on the gallery. Chuckling, Robert went downstairs to wait for his beautiful wife.

* * *

After a while Robert and Cora reached one of Downton's great meadows when Robert, who was riding in front because only he knew where they were headed, suddenly stopped.

"What is it?" Cora asked. This surely couldn't be the place, Robert had wanted them to go, but instead of giving her an answer, Robert just smiled mischievously at her, turned his horse and slowly rode around her in a circle until he halted alongside her.

"What?" She asked again, slightly confused now by his actions.

"Do you want to come over?" Robert beckoned.

"What? How is that going to work?"

"Trust me," he said, already dismounting his own horse. Robert then opened all the straps, took the saddle off and put it on the nearby fence.

"Now come on down, we leave her here and take her with us on our way back. She'll be glad about the fresh grass," Robert held out his hand, which Cora took only after he had reassured her that everything would be fine and that he was actually capable of riding bareback.

With growing amazement Cora witnessed how her usually so proper husband climbed with surprising agility, never letting go of the reins, first onto the fence, from there back onto his horse and then he held out his hand again, encouraging her with a smile.

"No, Robert, how am I going to get up there?"

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing. Grab my wrist and then jump when I say 'now'. Or are you afraid?" he teased her, hoping she wasn't.

That did it.

"Afraid? I'll show you... afraid... ts," Cora huffed, gathered her skirt together and grabbed his wrist while he closed his hand around her's. She had been the terror of her parents when she had ridden her pony as a child, always competing with Harold for the fastest or the longest ride, or even the highest jump. She wasn't afraid of anything when it came to horses.

"Ready?" Robert smiled, feeling curiously happy that he was now experiencing this side of his wife, which he had heard so much about from Harold, at first hand.

"Ready."

"Right, one... two... three... now!" Robert called and Cora jumped - and in one swift motion, Robert managed to pull her up and Cora managed to take her seat sideways in front of her husband, who immediately reined in the horse, which was obviously a little bit perplexed that it had to carry two people now.

"See? Told you, I know what I'm doing." Robert whispered into her ear.

"Did I ever question that?" She asked as innocently as she dared while she settled herself further into his lap and more closely against his chest. His arms were wrapped around her, holding her close, and Cora placed her hands upon his and held them tight.

"Well, for a small moment, I had the impression that you did," he whispered as he goaded the horse into walking on.

"Well, I would never do that, of course," Cora teased.

"Of course not," Robert said, just before placing a short, soft kiss on her neck.

After having crossed the meadow, they had entered a little wood. They were completely in tune with one another and with the soft swaying motions of the horse, until Cora started to feel something prodding the small of her back.

"What are you thinking?" She asked, curious about what Robert would tell her.

"Nothing, really." Robert acted the innocent quite well.

"Robert, I can feel what you are thinking. Aren't you going to tell me?" She whispered, becoming more aroused with every step the horse took and just when they reached a beautiful clearing, Cora noticed the laid out blanket right in the middle of it and heard Robert's voice breathing hotly into her ear again.

"I'm going to show you, Darling."


End file.
